Report Illegal Dumping or Spill

If you notice any unusual substance in or around a storm drain, or if you see someone dumping anything into the storm drain, street or gutter - please report it. The information that you provide will help us maintain the health of our creeks and Bay.

Call (925) 943-5854 during business hours or email DutyEngineer@walnut-creek.org.  Call (925) 943-5844 after hours for non-emergency reports. You may also complete an Online Reporting Form.

If you aware of an emergency and need an immediate response, call 911.

Help Walnut Creek to become a Litter-Free City

Storm drains within our City transport water directly to local creeks and the San Francisco Bay without treatments. This means litter and other pollutants washed down storm drains will end up in our creeks. Litter in local creeks can impact water quality, detract from the beauty of our natural environment and hamper recreational use. Our City Council has passed a Plastic Bag ordinance and a Polystyrene based Food Service Ware ordinance to help protect our environment.

You can do your part, too:

  • Minimize the amount of trash you generated by using reusable or recyclable materials when possible
  • Volunteer to pick up litter in your community
  • Dispose of trash in proper receptacles
  • Litter in a community decreases property values by 7%. Whether you own a business or a residential home, keep your community beautiful by encouraging others to reduce litter. 

Stormwater Issues 101

Stormwater runoff is part of a natural hydrologic process. Human activities particularly urbanization and agriculture, can alter natural drainage patterns and add pollutants to rivers, lakes as well as coastal bays, estuaries and ultimately the ocean. Numerous studies have shown urban runoff to be a significant source of water pollution, causing declines in fisheries, restricting swimming and limiting our ability to enjoy many of the other benefits that water resources provide (USEPA, 1992). For many years the efforts to control the discharge of Stormwater focused mainly on the quantity (e.g. drainage, flood control) and, only, to a limited extent, on the quality of the Stormwater (e.g. sediment and erosion control). In recent years, however, awareness of the need to  improve water quality has increased. With this awareness, federal, state and local programs have been established to reduce pollutants at the source, before it can cause environmental problems (USEPA, 1992).

Local Efforts

The City's Clean Water Program exists to comply with the Federal and State Clean Water regulations governing "non-point source" pollution. Such pollution is mobilized, transported and discharged with storm water runoff, which flows untreated into a storm drain and ultimately flow into the San Francisco Bay and the Delta. We work with residents, businesses and visitors to make sure we keep our waterways healthy. Our efforts to prevent stormwater pollution is regulated under the jurisdiction of the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board (Region 2). The City of Walnut Creek is a member of the Contra Costa Clean Water Program.